Hair roller and clip assembly



y 1, 1963 G. 'ECKMAN 3,090,389

HAIR ROLLER AND CLIP ASSEMBLY Filed April 12, 1961 GGRDOA/ flKMA/f,

1N VENTOR.

BY Wm 3,090,389 HAIR ROLLER AND CLW ASSEMBLY Gordon Eckman, Pico-Rivera, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Reiner Industries, lino, Los Angeles, Caiiii, a corporation of California Fiied Apr. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 102,608 6 fiiaims. (Cl. 132-41) This invention relates to clamps of a type known as pin curl clips" and more particularly to such clip-s as adapted for use with hair rollers.

Pin curl clips, which are best generally described as pivoted clamp members, have long been used as an instrumentality to hold the hair in flat curls, in the setting of womens hair. Another major type of clamp used for this purpose is the so-called bobby pin type, which may best be generally described as a single piece of resilient material bent back upon itself so that two legs are formed, the legs being urged together by their own resilience and by the resilience of the connecting bight portion.

Such clamps, of both bobby pin and pin curl clip type, are also utilized to hold other hair dressing devices, such as hair rollers, in the hair; and recent developments in hairdressing techniques have resulted in a greatly increased use of hair rollers to form curls and in a correspondingly increased use of pin curl clips and hobby pin type clamps to hold such hair rollers in position.

Hair rollers of the class here under discussion generally comprise a hollow cylindrical member which may or may not be perforated. In use, a tress of hair is dampened with water or lotion and wrapped around the roller, from the free end of the tress to the scalp. In order to prevent unraveling or unrolling, the roller is fastened to the tress, at or adjacent the scalp, by a clamp of some kind, usually a bobby pin or a pin curl clip.

Prior to the present invention, no fully satisfactory hair clamping device has been available for this purpose; i.e., securement of hair rollers in the hair. The bobby pin type has been unsatisfactory because the legs can be held apart for insertion over the roller and the hair only by gripping the sides of the legs, and such grip must be released after only a slight initial insertion of the roller into the clip jaws. Subsequent pushing of the bobby pin upon the roller often causes the tress to be pushed off or gathered. Moreover, bobby pin usage for this purpose often results in scraping or scratching the scalp. The pin curl clip type has been less than ideally satisfactory for purposes of anchoring hair rollers for the reason that the handles of such clamps must necessarily extend beyond the ends of the rollers to which they are attached, since the rollers cannot pass the pivotal connections of the clamps. This protrusion of the handles makes it either difiicult or impossible to place rollers in close proximity to one another so that beauty operators or home users are compelled to space the rollers from one another.

An apparent solution to the above-stated problems, in the use of pin curl clips to hold hair rollers in place, would be to use known types of clamps or clasps wherein one of the clamp members is so arranged as to permit insertion of an article into the entire length of the clamp. This is accomplished in tie-Clasps and in other clothing and jewelry clips, for example, by forming one of the clamp members of a piece of rigid material which is bent back upon itself to form a long and a short leg separated by a bight portion and by pivotally mounting a second clamp member on the short leg, whereby an article to be clamped may be inserted into the bight portion of the first mentioned clamp member and grasped by said member and the second member. However, such constructions are not, per se, suitable for use with hair rollers because of the flat shape and rigidity of the clamp members.

Patented May 21, 1963 ice Such shapes are prone to slip from the hands of the users because the devices are used with wet hair and water or with still more slippery hair Waving lotions.

The present invention obviates the above-mentioned difliculties and provides pin curl clips of shape and size adapted to perform the usual function 'of such devices in setting fiat curls and which are also particularly adapted to being used with hair rollers, since they can be pushed over such hair rollers through the entire lengths of the clips and since they are so shaped as to provide positive finger gripping means under slippery conditions as well as to resiliently conform to a hair roller and a tress of hair wound thereon.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide novel pin curl clip means which are equally effective for use, either in holding a flat curl or in retaining a hair roller in the hair.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pivoted pin curl clip construction in which it is possible to insert a hair roller wall into the entire length of the clip; i.e., to the extreme end of the handles of the clip.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hair roller pin curl clip combination wherein the pin curl clip handles do not extend beyond the end of the hair roller in the assembled relationship of the parts.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pin curl clip construction of a type wherein it is possible to insert a hair roller wall into the entire length of the handles of the clip and which is characterized in that the handles are of a configuration and construction to provide positive gripping so that such clips can be used with water and with slippery hair Waving lotions.

These and other objects and the attendant advantages will become apparent and be more fully understood from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like reference numerals have been applied to like parts throughout, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pin curl clip according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the pin curl clip of FIGURE 1, taken along the line 2-2 of that figure;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the pin curl clip of FIGURES 1 and 2, showing the clamp parts disassembled from one another;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a pin curl clip such as is shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, positioned upon a hair roller and a tress of hair; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of pin curl clip according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURES 1 to 3 illustrate one example of a pin curl clip according to the present invention, and FIGURE 4 illustrates the combination of such a hair clip with a hair roller, as in normal use. The pin curl clip comprises two superposed elongated members, generally designated by the reference numerals 10 and 12 respectively, and which are pivotally related to one another and spring biased toward a closed or clamping position as shown. For purposes of distinguishing the two elements in the ensuing discussion, the member 10 will be designated the first member and the member 12 the second member.

The first member 10 comprises an elongated length of material which is bent back upon itself to form 'a short arm or pivot base 14 and a long arm or clamping portion 16, which are separated by an end wall 18 so that a bight area 19 is formed by the connection of the arms 14 and 16 with end Wall 18.

It is an important feature of the present invention that the juncture of the arm 16 with end wall '18 forms an angle of substantially less than degrees, since the provnd means to inhibit slipping, the long arm or clamp jaw is provided with an aperture 22, which extends to the finger grip portion 21 to provide an edge, as at 24, so that the soft flesh of the finger of the user may enter into the aperture and engage the edge 24 to provide a positive gripping relationship.

In the generic sense, the present invention relates to clamps having a clamp member of structure such as described above and any means to effect a spring biased pivoted connection of a second clamp member with the short arm without blocking entry to bight area 19 of a flat article to be clamped. The drawings are illustrative of several possible and preferred arrangements. In the arrangement of FIGURES 1 to 4, the short arm 14 of first member 18 has an integral spring tongue 26 extending longitudinally toward and beyond the free end thereof. Spring tongue 26 is located on the longitudinal center line of the short arm 14 and struck up from the material thereof, thus providing also a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal extensions 28. Each extension 28 has a spur 31 formed on the end thereof and bent upwardly therefrom.

Second clamp member 12 comprises a handle portion 34 which is angularly related to a clamping portion 32, as shown. Clamping portion 32 may take any desired specific configuration, but is preferably elongated and may be provided with ventilation slots 33, if desired.

The handle portion 34 has an opening 36 to accommodate spring tongue 26 when the two clamp members are assembled. A pair of apertures or sockets 38 are provided in the area of juncture of the angularly related handle portion 34 and clamping portion 32 of the member 12 and are of a size and spacing to receive the spurs on the first member 10. If desired, clamping portion 32 may be provided with a protuberance 40 adjacent the handle end thereof, formed by lancing a strap from the material of clamping portion 32 and pushing it upwardly, for purposes to be later described.

Olamp members 10 and 12, shown disassembled in FIGURE 3, are assembledby placing the second member 12 over the first member 10' and inserting the free end of spring tongue 26 in the opening 36. The parts are then moved relative to one another to cause spring tongue 26 to move through opening 36 for such distance as is necessary to cause the spurs 30 to enter into the sockets 38 to complete the assembly operation. It should be noted, in this specific illustrative example, that the end of spring tongue 26 is turned upwardly to provide a rounded bearing surface 42 for reducing the frictional engagement of the spring tongue with the protuberance 40. In the assembled construction described, the engagemerit of spurs 36 within the sockets 38 prevents lateral and longitudinal shifting of the clamp members 10 and 12 relative to one another. The direction of pressure exerted by the spring tongue 26 is such as to retain the spurs within the sockets to prevent disassembly of the parts as well asto continually bias the clamping portions 16 and 32 toward the closed or clamping position.

In operation, the above-described pincurl clamp is operated by placement of the fingers on the outwardly directed surfaces of handle portion 34 of clamp member 12 and on the finger grip portion of clamp member 10 and pressing the fingers together to cause relative pivotal movement of the parts about spurs 30 and sockets 38 to move the clamping portions 16 and 32 to open position against the bias of spring tongue 26. In this movement, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2., it may be seen that the rounded end 42 of the spring tongue rides upwardly (toward the left, relatively) on protuberance 40 and over the edge of the protuberance to lessen the amount of distortion of spring tongue 26 in the full open position and to thus lessen the danger of exceeding the elastic limit of the spring tongue and adversely aifecting its operativeness. Release of the handle portion 34 and the grip portion 21 allows the clamp to resume its closed position.

Obviously, pin curl clips, as above described, may be used for clamping flat curls, in the manner of prior art pin curl clips. They are also particularly adapted, as previously discussed, for combination with hair roller devices. In this usage, a tress of hair T is usually wound on a roller H and secured close to the scalp, by some attachment means. FIGURE 4 illustrates the combination of the pin curl clip of FIGURES l to 3 with a hair roller in such a usage, it being an important feature of this invention that the roller wall can he slipped entirely into the bight area 19 and into abutment with the wall 18, in an arrangement which provides positive gripping by virtue of the acute angle forming the point 20 and the edge 24 provided by the aperture 22.

FIGURE 5 illustrates another example of a pin curl clip according to the present invention, and wherein the construction and mode of operation are generally similar to that of the pin curl clip of FIGURES 1 to 3. The FIGURE 5 embodiment comprises clamp members 10a and 12a which diifer significantly from the FIGURES 1 to 3 embodiment only in that the opening for auxiliary finger grip purposes, in the finger grip area 21, takes the form of a simple circular opening 22a and in that the spring arrangement is different. Referring now to FIG- URE 5, it may be seen that the spring arrangement therein iilustrated comprises a short resilient tongue 26a extending centrally from the short arm 14 of first clamp member 10a (instead of the longer bowed spring tongue 26 of FIGURES l to 3) and a spring tongue 44 formed on the second clamp member 12a, said spring tongue 44 is of how form and has its root in the handle 34 and a free end extending beyond the pivot area defined by spurs and sockets 3d and 38. Resilient tongue 26a preferably has a relatively straight edge, as at '50, and spring tongue 44 has a flange at its end, as at 46, which forms a hook engaging the edge 59, as shown, to hold the clip in assembled condition and to bias the'clamping portions to closed position. Operation and function of the FIG- URE 5 modification is the same as that described in con junction with FIGURES 1 to 4, the essential operating distinction between the two modifications being that the operating characteristics of the springs differ.

From the above it may be seen that the present invention provides novel pin curl clip constructions which are capable of performing not only the usual function of such constructions, i.e., the clamping of flat curls of hair, but also the function of clamping hair roller devices in the hair in a manner to obviate slippage from the users hand and to be substantially completely Within the longitudinal extent of the hair roller when installed.

Obviously the present invention may take many forms other than the specific illustrative modifications shown in the drawing. For example, the specific length and planview configuration of the clamping portions and handles, and the presence or absence of ventilating slots therein are purely matters of design and choice. Similarly, any spring and hinge connection might be used provided the bight portion 19 of the first clamp member were left unobstructed. Thus, as examples, the hinge arrangement might include bearings upstanding from the short arm 14 and either pins on the second clamp member extending into such hearings or a hinge pin extending through bearings in both the member 10 and the member 12. In either case, a separate coil or fiat spring could be associated with either the hinge or the handles, all such structures being old and well known in the pin curl clip art and in the clamp art generally. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited by the specific exemplary modifications illustrated in the drawings but rather by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A clamp comprising first and second elongated members, said first member comprising a short end wall having a pair of integral arms extending outwardly in the same direction from opposite edges thereof to provide a bight area between said arms and adjacent said end wall, one of said arms being relatively short, the other of said arms being of greater length than said relatively short arm and providing a finger grip portion adjacent said end wall and a clamping portion, said second member comprising a clamping jaw and an integral handle angularly related to said clamping jaw, means pivotally supporting said second member on the short arm of said first member with said clamping jaw superposed over the clamping portion of said first member and with said handle overlying and angularly related to said finger grip portion, and spring means constantly urging the clamping jaw and the clamping portion towards one another in clamping relationship, said finger grip portion being at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to said end wall to provide an acute angle corner at the juncture of said end wall and said finger grip portion whereby to inhibit slippage from the fingers of a user.

2. A clamp according to claim 1, wherein said means supporting said second member on the short arm of said first member are disposed entirely on the surface thereof remote from the finger grip portion of said first member whereby said bight area is unobstructed and an object to be clamped may be inserted into the clamp in abutment with said end wall.

3. A clamp according to claim 1, further characterized in that said finger grip portion has a cut-out portion adjacent said end wall, whereby to provide an edge to positively engage the finger of the user to further inhibit slippage.

4. A clamp according to claim 1, wherein the acute angle corner at the juncture of said end wall and said finger grip portion is an angle of between 60 and 85 degrees.

5. In combination, a hair roller and a clip for securing said roller in the hair of a user; said hair roller comprising a generally elongated hollow body having a relatively thin wall and adapted to having a tress of hair wound about the periphery thereof; said clip comprising first and second elongated members, said first member comprising a short end Wall having a pair of integral arms extending outwardly in the same direction from opposite edges thereof to provide a bight area between said arms and adjacent said end wall, one of said arms being relatively short, the other of said arms being of greater length than said relatively short arm and providing a finger grip portion adjacent said end wall and a clamping portion, said second member comprising a clamping jaw and an integral handle angularly related to said clamping jaw, means pivotally supporting said second member on the short arm of said first member with said clamping jaw superposed over the clamping portion of said first member and with said handle overlying and angularly related to said finger grip portion, the edge of the wall of said hair roller being received in said bight and abutting against said end wall, and spring means constantly urging the clamping jaw and the clamping portion towards one another in clamping relationship, said finger grip portion being at an angle of less than degrees relative to said end wall to provide an acute angle corner at the juncture of said end wall and said finger grip portion whereby to inhibit slippage from the fingers of a user.

6. In a clamp of the type comprising first and second superposed elongated members having superposed clamping portions and superposed angularly related finger grip portions; wherein said members are pivotally attached to one another along a transverse line between said finger grip portions and said clamping portions whereby movement of said finger grip portions toward one another and apart tend to separate said clamping portions and return the-m to closed clamping position; and wherein spring means are provided to cooperate with said members to normally bias the clamping portions to said closed clamping position; the improvement consisting in that one of said members is in the form of an elongated piece of metal bent upwardly to form an end wall and then back upon itself to form a pair of arms extending in the same direction from said end wall to provide a bight between said arms, one of said arms being relatively shorter than the other, the pivotal attachment of the other member being on the said shorter arm and entirely on the side thereof remote from the longer arm, whereby a flat article to be clamped may be inserted beyond said pivotal attachment, and into said bight, the juncture of said longer arm with said end wall forming an angle of less than 90* degrees to form an acute angle corner providing a slip inhibiting finger grip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,690,937 Larm Nov. 6, 1928 2,459,452 Reiner et al Jan. 18, 1949 2,638,908 Schildt May 19, 1953 2,898,922 Lyman Aug. '11, 1959 2,979,060 Reiner Apr. 11, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 856,555 France Mar. 23, 1940 

1. A CLAMP COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND ELONGATED MEMBERS, AND FIRST MEMBER COMPRISING A SHORT END WALL HAVING A PAIR OF INTERGRAL ARMS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION FROM OPPOSITE EDGES THEREOF TO PROVIDE A BIGHT AREA BETWEEN SAID ARMS AND ADJACENT SAID END WALL, ONE OF SAID ARMS BEING RELATIVELY SHORT, THE OTHER OF SAID ARMS BEING OF GREATER LENGTH THAN SAID RELATIVELY SHORT ARM AND PROVIDING A FINGER GRIP PORTION ADJACENT SAID END WALL AND A CLAMPING PORTION, SAID SECOND MEMBER COMPRISING A CLAMPING JAW AND AN INTEGRAL HANDLE ANGULARLY RELATED TO SAID CLAMPING JAW, MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID SECOND MEMBER ON THE SHORT ARM OF SAID FIRST MEMBER WITH SAID CLAMPING JAW SUPERPOSED OVER THE CLAMPING PORTION OF SAID FIRST MEMBER AND WITH SAID HANDLE OVERLYING AND ANGULAR RELATED TO SAID FINGER GRIP PORTION, AND SPRING MEANS CONSTANTLY URGING THE CLAMPING JAW AND THE CLAMPING, PORTION TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER IN CLAMPING RELATIONSHIP, SAID FINGER GRIP PORTION BEING AT AN ANGLE OF LESS THAN 90 DEGREES RELATIVE TO SAID END WALL TO PROVIDE AN ACUATE ANGLE CORNER AT THE JUNCTURE OF SAID END WALL AND SAID FINGER GRIP PORTION WHEREBY TO INHIBIT SLIPPAGE FROM THE FINGERS OF A USER. 